Sliding door support



. oct. 31, 195o B, KUgTZON 2,527,740

SLIDING DOOR SUPPORT Filed March 18, 1948 ,.f INVENToR. l

@5gg/ y 1v, @M0/mx www Patented Oct. 31,4195() sLrniNo DOOR SUPPORT George B. lu'rtzon, Chicago, ill., assignor to Garden City Plating & Manufacturing Co., a corporation Of Illinois Application March 18, 1948, Serial No. 15,665

2 Claims.

ture of this type is shown in my prior Patent No. 2,061,279. A disadvantage inherent in this type of structure is the tendency of the walls of the ball retainer and the channel or race supporting it to spread under load. This deformation interferes with the smooth operation of the sliding doors by causing them to bind or rub against the channels in which they operate.

The present invention comprises a ball re tainer that cannot become deformed with use,

and a solid support therefor, substantially in the f form of an I-beam, that will stand up under use Yfor the life of the show case. The ball retainer is provided with depending sidewalls that extend far enough below the top of the supporting beam so that the ball retainer cannot be displaced. The top of the beam is shaped so that the balls will always remain in proper position for efficient operation of the sliding doors. The longitudinal spacing of the individual balls in the ball retainer is maintained by suitably placed indentations in the depending side walls of the ball retainer channel.

The structure by which the above advantages are attained will be described in the following specication; taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the rear of a show case having a pair of laterally sliding doors, showing the environment in which the present invention is utilized;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary rear elevation of the show case shown in Fig. 1, with parts broken away to show the structure of the door supporting means;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary rear elevation of the lower portion of the show case, with parts broken away and the door supporting structure shown in greater detail;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view through the door structure showing the door supporting means; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective View of the supporting beam.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 2 indicates a show case having a pair of laterally 2 sliding doors II and I2. The structure of the show case is conventional, except for the door supporting means, and will not be described in detail beyond the description necessary for a complete understanding of the invention.

The rear edge of the top 5 of show case 2 (or the front edge or an intermediate portion) is provided with a recess 6 which extends longitudinally across the entire length of the show case. An inverted U-shaped channel 'I having a depending central flange 8 extending longitudinally of recess 6, divides the recess into two duplicate channels 9 and I0. Flange 8 may be a separate member secured in channel 'I in any suitable manner, but it is preferably formed.

I2 may t into channels 9 and III with a fairly snug t to prevent rattling when the doors are moved. The t is, however, loose enough to permit sliding without binding.

The rear edge of show case 2 (or the front edge or an intermediate portion of the show case) is provided at the bottom with channel structure duplicating that at the top of the show case. Channels I3 and I4 lie in the same vertical planes as channels 9 and I0, respectively. Flange `I5 which separates channels I3 and I4 is similar to flange 8. Channels I3 and I4, and the door supporting structure housed in each, are duplicates, and therefore only one will be described.

The door supporting member It is, preferably, in substantially the shape of an I-beam except that its top surface Il is not as wide as its base and is slightly concave to furnisha more stable base for the ganged balls hereinafter described. The top surface may, however, be flat and it may be as wide as its base. Top surface I'I is disposed centrally of channel I3. The base of beam I6 is of substantially the same width as the width of channel I3- so it will remain in pl-ace without any rattling or wobbling when it is positioned in the channel. If desired, it may be formed integrally with the channel, as by a drawing or extruding operation, for example. Supporting member I6 is preferably of substantially the same length as channel I3 although the structure will operate eicerltly if member I6 extends only about three fourths of the length of channel I3 provided one end of member I6 is secured adjacent the end of channel I3 which normally houses door I I, when the door is in closed position.

Supporting member I6 does not move with the movement of either door II.or I2, but the ball retainer, described below, does, and it is desirable that member I6 be under the ball retainer, regardless of its position, to prevent any possibility of any of the balls becoming displaced from the ball retainer.

The ball retainer I8 comprises an inverted channel I9 having side walls 2Q and 2| depending on either side of Supporting member I6. SideY walls 2:8 and 2I depend far enough below top I'I of supporting member I6 so that they cannot become displaced in channel I3. Top wall 22 of channel I9 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures 23. A ball 24, having a larger diameter than the diameter of aperture 23, is positioned in the concave top I'I of supporting member I6 adjacent each aperture 23,. Gnly a portion of each ball 24 extends through each aperture 23 to provide a rolling contact with the bottom of sliding door II. Side walls 20 and 2l are indented or bent under each ball 2d, as indicated at 25 and 2,6, for example, to retain balls 2li in proper position in the ball retainer and to maintain the proper longitudinal spacing between the balls. The bottom of door I I, resting on balls 24,. is preferably encased in a thin metal channel strip 2l to protect the lower edge of the door. Channel member 21 is slightly concave on its bottom, as indicated at 28, to provide a better bearing surface. Y l

Balls 26 roll between concave surfaces Il and 28 as door I I is slid in its channel i3. Ball retainer I8 moves with the door, but only about half the distance the door` moves, and therefore the lower surfaces of the balls are always supported on surface Il even if member IS extends only three fourths o the length of channel I3. Since member I5 is solid it has no thin walls that can be spread apart by the weight of door II. The length of side walls 2i] and 2l prevents angular displacement of ball retainer I8, and side walls 20 and 2l cannot be spread out under load because there is no force acting against either side wall when the doors are slid in their tracks.

Ii desired, ball retainer I8 may be inverted. In this structure less than half of each ball 24 would project into channel I9 and side walls gli and ZI would project above the lower edge of door II a distance suicient to prevent ball retainer I8 from becoming tilted in channel I3.

Although I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention in considerable detail, it will be understood that the description is intended to be illustrative, rather than restrictive, as many details may be modiiied or changed Without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention. Thus, for example, the channel structure at the bottom of the show case or other cabinet may be dispensed with yand door supporting member I6 may be set in a grooved recess or channel formed in the base of the cabinet and held in place by screws o r the like, if desired. Accordingly, I do not desire to be restricted to the exact structure described, except as limited by the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A door supporting structure comprising a cl1annel, a beamk positioned in said channel, the top snriace oisaid beam providing a runway for balls, said runway being at a level substantially above the bottom o the channel, and a ball assembly comprising an inverted channel having a pair ci depending side walls and a series of aber# tures spaced longitudinally along its top, and a plurality ci' balls each having a portion projecting through one of said apertures, said pair of side walls depending below said balls and said runway on opposite sides thereof to prevent lat# eral displacement of said assembly relative to said beam, said balls each resting on the top surface ol said beam. v A Y n 2. A door supporting structure as defined in claim l, and each of said side walls having a portion thereo conforming generally to thel contour of the balls.

GEORGE B. KURTZQN. v

Y REFERENCES orrnp The following references are of record'in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,843,059 Ziehl Jan. 26, 1932 1,956,043 Phillips Apr. 24;, 19,34Y

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 396,283 Great Britain Aug. 3, i933 

